Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-10-07
CENTRAL PACIFIC.
O. P. Huntington Says the Government
Owes the Company $2,ooo0oo,
and Will Not Pay.
The Magnate Explains How Money Was
Used to .'Influence" United
States Senators.
New York telegran.l

P. G. Huntington appeared as witness
before the Pacific Railroad Commission on
Friday, and the examination into the diff
ferent letters sent to Mr.. Cotton was en-
tered upon. The first was in relation to
having convinced certain Senator from
Florida of the advantages of the Southern
Pacific Road to the Gulf States. The
witness did not know whether it was Sen
ator Jones or Senator Conover he referred
The next was relative to having a Cali
fornia Senator friendly to the road. Moth
ing could be extracted from Mr.. Hunting
ton on this head, except that Mr.. A..
A Sargent, whose name Mr.. Anderson
mentioned, would have been most admir-
able man for the position. He was we'll
and able, and above suspicion. Following
this came letter commenting upon the
adyisabiity of purchasing Senator Jones
(of Neyada) road, the Los Angeles and In
dependence, SO as to induce him to favor
the Union Pacific and Northern Pacific
Railroads sinking fund bill. He bought
the road, which cost SIG. 900, for $780,
600. Jones was hard up, and witness knew
it would make Jones take q greater inter
est in the Pacific roads if he took the other
Another letter brought in Mr.. Hunting
tons opinion of socialism and the Con-
gress Of 1878. "This Congress is an
agra,ian camp. 1t is composed of the
worst body of men that ever got together
in the country"
DO you recognize your sentiments in
that passage?" asked MIR. Anderson.
well, Of late years have remarked
that there has been considerable influx
of these anarchists and socialists into pub
lie places. They can not make money
themselves honestly, but have remarked
that $4,000 is great deal to them, and
they will do a lot for less"
Mr.. Huntington then entered into az
other explanation of how money could be
legitimately spent in influencing Congress.
MIR. Huntington knew nothing about the
books Of the Contract and Finance Com
pany. He knew that after building the
Central Pacific the company's debts were
big and its assets nothing but Central Pa
citic stock of less value than the amount Of
it's debts.
Il never kept the books of the company,
and carry most of my own business memo
randa under my hat, said he, and they
very seldom mlslead me-"
The witness went into the methods and
men employed in starting the Central Pa
enc. Livery one Went III at his personal
solicitation. Only good, honest, thrifty
men were taken in, like Gov. Stanford and
Mr.. Crocker. "The Government took
away our power of repaying them quickly
when it subsidized parallel lines. That
was not our fault. We have fulfilled every
obligation to the Government. 1t is they
who have broken the contract The ex-
penses at one time We're enormous. Freight,
insurance, provisions, everything, was
high during the war. Materials had to
be shipped around Cape Horn n
year in advance, and thus interest
was lost. AT present the Government owes
the Central S2,0o0,00o, which it will not
pay, and it won't pay interest on anything
1t once has in it's grasp. The most expensive
part Of the road was over the Sierra Neva-
das 1t cost Mr.. Croker more than the
contracts came anywhere near paying him.
At one time it looked like losing enter
prise. The risk was enormous, and it was
not until long afterward that the profits
showed themselves"
Mr.. Huntington asserted that the Gov
eminent paid the Central Pacific less for
carrying + mails over the Sierra Nevadas
than it lid the level Eastern roads. To
which statement Mr.. Eittler responded
that he would like to have the official data
of that assertion, as il it was true it was q
very grievous charge to prefer against the
Government. The witHess promised to
send in the full particulars.